davis



(No Model.)

. T. 817 O. E. DAVIS.

ICE MAGHINE'AND REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 10,- 1882.

N. PEIERS. Pmbum n w. Washingtnn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DAVIS AND CHARLES E. DAVIS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ICE-MACHINE AND REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming .part of Letters Patent No. 252,021, dated January10, 1882.

A Application filed Xovember 7, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS DAVIS and CHARLESE.DAVIS, residents of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ice-Machines andRefrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, hav-1 The object of our invention is, first, to utilize the refrigeratingpower of the ammonia when passing from the liquid to the gaseousstate toreduce the liquid product of distillation to thelowest possibletemperature just before its liberation from pressure; second, toeasilyand cheaply reduce the temperature of the weak liquor remaining, afterthe separation of the ammonia, to a degree which will fit it to rapidlyreabsorb the ammonia and holditstrongly in solution, so that theresulting re-formed aqua-ammonia can be returned to the boiler or retortby means of an injector. t

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention, in which Figure l isa general elevation, the boiler and tanks being shown in section. Fig. 2is a partial plan, as hereinafter described.

In Fig. 1, A is a retort or boiler, constructed of iron and ofsufficient strength tosnstain a 0, forms therein the coil K.

pressure of two hundred and twenty pounds to the squareinch.

B is a steam-heater, placed within the boiler A and connected with asteam-generator by the pipe H, and provided with a blow-oft" pipe andvalve, 12.

J is a pipe, leading from the topiof boiler A, which, passing throughthe condensing-tank E is refrigeratory chamber, built of wood or othernon-conductor of heat. A continuation of the pipe J from the coil Kpasses into the .passing out at a enters the closed chamber F.

Chamber is strongly made of iron and is air-tight. The pipe M traversesthe chamber .F, near the bottom thereof, as shown. at N, and

passes out at 0 into the distributer O. From 0 the distributing-pipes PP P P form coilsin the refrigeratory tank G, terminating in the receiverQ, which is connected with the chamber F by the piiwxult. A pipe, S,enters the boiler A near the ttom, below the heater B, and passingupward enters the cooling-tank D, in which it forms the coil T, andpassing out near the bottom of the tank, at U, enters the closed chamberF, in which it rises to near the top. The pipe V leads from the bottomofthe chamber F to the injector W, which is inserted in the-' side ofboiler A, as shown, and is also connected therewith by the pipe X. Apipe, Y, leads from near the discharge of the injector W into the closedchamber Z.

The operation of our device is as follows:

Into the boiler A, a quantity of strong aquaammonia is put, sutficientto fill it to about the dotted line 0 e and submerging the heater B. Thetanks 0 and D are now filled with cold water from the supply-pipe f, thewater overflowing at l and m, and being constantly replaced. Therefrigerating-tank G is filled with a strong brine. The stop-valves inall the pipes leading from A being closed, steam is now admitted to theheater B, raising thereby the temperature of the aqua-ammonia andexpelling the ammonia therefrom in a gaseous form. When the pressure ofthe ammonia within the boiler A has reached one hundred and fifty poundsto the square inch, or thereabout, as indicated by the gage 7c, thevalve h in pipe S is opened and the "denser portion of the water fromwhich the ammonia has been expelled in boiler A passes from the bottomof A, below the heater B, into the coil T in the cooling-tank D, whereit is deprived of a large portion of its heat. It then passes into theclosed chamber F until said chamber is nearly filled, the air passingout at the open purge-cock o The valve 1 in pipe J is now opened, andthe ammonia passing into thecoil K in the condenser therefrigerator-tank G, with its system of distributing-pipes, are all oldand well-known devices; but as heretofore constructed and arranged theammonia, after leaving the condenser O, passes through acontinuation ofthe pipe in which it is contained when leaving condenser 0' directlythrough the-valve d to the distributer- 0, connected with the system ofdistributing-pipes in G.

The first part of our invention consists in inolosing together in achamber, E, formed of non-heat-conducting material, a portion of thepipe conveying the liquefied ammonia while under great pressure, formingthe coil L, and another portion of pipe M conveying the am- Inonia whenrelieved from such pressure. The result produced is a further reductionof the temperature of the liquid in the coil L while still under greatpressure, and the consequent greater expansion and increase ofrefrigerative power in the ammonia when released from pressure in pipeM. The well-known property of ammonia, when passing from a liquid to agaseous form,of absorbing sensible heat and changing it to latent heat,prevents any perceptible rise in temperature in the ammonia in the pipeM from the heat absorbed from the coil L.

The second part of our invention consists in the means employed forreducing the temperature of the weak liquor taken from the boiler Aafter the expulsion of its ammonia, and thus fitting it to absorb theammonia after it has passed through the refrigerator. In this class ofrefrigerating apparatus, as heretofore constructed, this result has beenattained in some cases by causing cold water to circulate in a coilthrough a considerable mass of the weak liquor, and in others bysurrounding the chamber containing the liquor by a water-jacket in whicha circulation of cold water is kept up. By this means of cooling theWeak liquor in the absorberit has been found difficult to keep down itstemperature to that point which will best fit it to absorb and retainthe ammonia, the result. being that the absorption is feeble and slow,and the slight hold which the imperfectlycooled liquor has upon theammonia renders ordinary pumps or injectors inoperative, and thusrequires complicated and expensive pumping machinery to return theliquor to the boiler.

Our improvementconsists in placing the absorption-tank F, containing asmall amount of weak liquor, between the chamber'E and therefrigerator-tank G, and passing through it the pipe M, containing theexpanding ammonia on its way to the refrigerator G. We are thus enabledto produce a much lower temperature in the liquor than has before beenpossible with the means employed, and as a result the ammonia, afterpassing through the system of pipes P, and returning to the absorber Fthrough the open pipe It, is rapidly absorbed. The reformed aqua-ammoniathus produced is drained of by the pipe V and returned to the boiler bythe injector W, which is operated by ajet of ammonia from the upper partof A through the pipe X. The aqua-ammonia thus removed is replaced byfresh weak liquor from the boiler, and the stop-valves in the severalpipes being properly adjusted, the process goes on continuously. Infirst starting the injectorit is nec-. essary to allow the jet ofammonia to flow through without entering the boiler.

To prevent the loss of ammonia we have provided the waste-pipe Y, whichconnects the blow-off cock I) with a closed receiver, Z, in

1. In an ammonial refrigerating apparatus,

the combination of the coil L and pipe M, having their interiorsseparably connected by a valve, 01, and the chamber E inclosing both,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an ammonial refrigerating apparatus. the combination of theabsorption chamber F with the pipe N, conveying ammonia .to thedistributing-pipes P, and pi peR, conveying ammonia from thedistributing-pipes P, substantially in the manner and for the purposeset forth.

3. In an ammonial refrigerating apparatus, the combination of theabove-described chamber E, inclosing the coil L and pipe M, with thecondensing-tank O, coil K, and system of distributing-pipes P, for thepurpose set forth.

4. In an ammonial refrigerating apparatus, the combination of theabsorption-chamber F, having pipes N and B, in the manner abovedescribed, with the supply-pipe U, coil T, and cooling-tank D, for thepurpose set forth.

5. In an ammonial refrigerating apparatus, the combination of theabsorption-chamber F, provided with pipes N and R, in the manner abovedescribed, with the connecting-pipe V, injector W, and boiler A, for thepurpose set forth. v

6. In combination with the injector W, the pipe Yand closedoverflow-receiver Z, substantially as described, for the purpose setforth.

a In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

THOMAS DAVIS. CHARLES E. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

J. G. LIGHTFORD, OZNI'P. Hoon.

